The present application is related to the cofiled, copending, and co-assigned case entitled xe2x80x9cFuzzy Keyboardxe2x80x9d.
This invention relates generally to devices having soft keyboards, and more particularly to such keyboards in which the next key that will be pressed by the user is predicted.
Small computerized devices that fit into the palm of one""s hand, generally referred to as personal-digital-assistant (PDA) devices, have become increasingly popular. They allow users to look up and record information where computer access is inconvenient, such as when in one""s car, while shopping at the mall, during a business meeting, etc. Unlike a typical desktop or laptop computer, which has an actual physical, or xe2x80x9creal,xe2x80x9d keyboard for text and data entry, a PDA device usually only has a small number of buttons, and a small touch-sensitive area on which a pen-like implement called a stylus can be used. For text entry on such a device, the user is able to write letters or symbols corresponding to letters on the touch-sensitive area with the stylus, which the device attempts to recognize.
However, for a variety of reasons, some users prefer not to input text into these devices in this manner. Therefore, most PDA devices also permit a second form of text and data entry. An image of a regular keyboard is displayed on the small display of a PDA device, such that a user is able to select which key to xe2x80x9ctypexe2x80x9d next by tapping the stylus on the part of the image of the keyboard corresponding to the desired key. Such an image of a keyboard being displayed on the display of a device such as a PDA device, to provide for text and data entry on the part of the user by tapping the parts of the image corresponding to keys of the keyboard, is known as a xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d keyboard.
A disadvantage with such soft keyboards is, however, that the displayed keys of the keyboard on the display of the PDA device are very small, since the display of the device as well as the device itself are small. This means that users are apt to tap incorrect keys, especially when xe2x80x9ctypingxe2x80x9d quickly, and also that users are apt to type more slowly using soft keyboards, because of the dexterity required in order to achieve a high accuracy rate when typing. This limits the usefulness of these PDA devices, since they cannot very conveniently be used for quick and/or large amounts of text and data entry. For this and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.
The invention relates to predictive keyboards, such as predictive soft keyboards. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method first predicts at least one key to be entered next within a sequence of keys. The method displays a soft keyboard where the predicted keys are displayed on the soft keyboard differently than the other keys on the keyboard. For example, the predicted keys may be larger in size on the soft keyboard as compared to the other keys, making them more easily typed by a user as compared to the other keys.
Embodiments of the invention provide for advantages not found within the prior art. While the overall size of the soft keyboard of a personal-digital-assistant (PDA) device is still small, the keys that are determined as most likely to be entered next by the user are relatively larger in size than the other keys. This makes it easier for a user to type them as compared to the other keys, and as compared to keys on soft keyboards found in the prior art.
For example, if a user begins typing a sequence of keys xe2x80x9ctxe2x80x9d and then xe2x80x9ch,xe2x80x9d an embodiment of the invention may predict that the key the user will enter next is xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9crxe2x80x9d. By displaying the xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9crxe2x80x9d keys larger in size than the other keys on the keyboard, the embodiment of the invention makes it easier for the user to select either of these keys as the next key within the sequence. This makes for more convenient data and text entry on PDA devices, increasing their usefulness.
The invention includes computer-implemented methods, machine-readable media, computerized devices, computerized systems, and computers of varying scopes. Other aspects, embodiments and advantages of the invention, beyond those described here, will become apparent by reading the detailed description and with reference to the drawings.